The Detroit Red Wings are fighting for a playoff spot and one trade pitch has them acquiring a former first-round pick in a three-player blockbuster.
The website PuckPedia‘s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One userproposed a deal that would see the Red Wings acquiring Trevor Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks.
Ducks acquire:
- Joe Veleno
- Erik Gustafsson
- 2205 first-round pick
The proposed deal would be a blockbuster as Detroit would acquire Zegras who is a fan-favorite for Veleno, who’s also a former first-round pick, an NHL defenseman, and a first-round pick.
The Red Wings would acquire Zegras who is a fan favorite and in need of a change of scenery. Zegras is in the second year of a three-year $17.25 million deal. The forward has skated in 32 games recording 6 goals and 9 assists for 15 points. He dealt with an injury earlier this season and has struggled to re-find his groove, but perhaps a change of scenery would help him. Zegras would be a top-six forward in Detroit.
In return, Detroit would deal their first-round pick in 2025 and Veleno who was selected in the first round in 2018. Veleno is in the first year of his two-year $4.55 million deal, and like Zegras could use a change of scenery. Veleno has skated in 50 games recording 5 goals and 5 assists for 10 points this season.
Gustafsson, meanwhile, is in the first year of a two-year $4 million deal. The veteran defenseman could add some experience to the Ducks blue line. He’s skated in 47 games recording 2 goals and 11 assists for 13 points.
Detroit is looking to end its playoff drought and are in a fight for a playoff spot.
Entering the 4 Nations Face-off break, the Red Wings are holding onto the final spot, and coach Todd McLellan says the break comes at a good time.
We can take some time to breathe,” McLellan said. “As a staff, we’ll review where we’ve been and what we need to work on. Some of the things we saw [Saturday] are important. Game-management skills are really hard to work on in practice because there is no score or fatigue and not a lot of line-matching. It’s hard to recreate stressful situations, so game-management skills just have to keep coming through video and experience. For us to move forward, those are going to have to improve.”
Detroit ended the break going 7-2-1 in its last 10 games and are 28-22-5. The Red Wings haven’t made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season.
Zegras Returned From Knee Injury
Zegras suffered a torn meniscus on December 4 and was able to return to the lineup on January 21.
The star forward says being injured and missing games was tough but he was excited to return.
“During the process, it’s a bit frustrating,” Zegras said. “You want to play, you want to get back out there. You hate missing games, (especially) after last season. I feel good. I feel confident and strong and ready to go.”
